MLB

Another week of MLB action is in the books, which means it's time for a fresh installment of Bleacher Report's Team of the Week.

In case you're new to the party, these are the players (one per position, plus a designated hitter) who have busted box scores over the past seven days. Forget their overall stats. We're judging them solely on what they accomplished between August 14 and August 20.

Coors Field might be notoriously hitter-friendly, but there is no earthly explanation for Michael Taylor's 493-foot home run blast Thursday night.

The Washington Nationals center fielder crushed Colorado Rockies pitcher Yohan Flande's first offering in the seventh inning at-bat to left-center, evening the score at 2-2.

Marlon Byrd has value. 

It is tangible. It’s not like saying he brings leadership or veteran experience to a clubhouse. Those things can’t be measured. And who knows if they actually help? Especially when a team already possesses such qualities across its rows of lockers.

Two American League teams that sit atop the wild-card standings will battle for playoff positioning when the Toronto Blue Jays start a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday in Anaheim.

The San Francisco Giants announced via their Twitter account on Thursday that they acquired outfielder Marlon Byrd and cash from the Cincinnati Reds for Double-A pitcher Stephen Johnson. 

Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton hasn't been able to work his way into a consistent rhythm during the 2015 season because of a string of injuries, and left knee inflammation will hinder him this time around, as it landed him on the 15-day disabled list on Aug. 20.

Continue for updates. 

It's around middle to late August when the games start to truly matter. There are about 40 to 45 games left in each MLB team's regular season, and this weekend has a few games that might clear the playoff picture a little bit.

"Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me, playoffs?"

No Jim Mora, we're not kidding. We're going to talk about the playoffs.

Fact: The Chicago Cubs are the first team in the modern era (since 1900) to allow 19 hits and 10 runs and record 10 strikeouts in consecutive games.

Bleacher Report will be bringing sports fans the most interesting and engaging Cold Hard Fact of the day, presented by Coors Light.

Source: ESPN Stats & Info

Future Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter is one of the greatest New York Yankees of all time and a seemingly bulletproof figure in the Bronx, but that didn't stop Yankees general manager Brian Cashman from being brutally honest with the Captain in 2010.

We've all encountered people who, for one reason or another, insist that baseball is simply too boring to watch, too slow-paced for their liking. I'm here to tell you that laughing at those folks is an entirely acceptable response, for they clearly have no idea what they're talking about.

With roughly five weeks left in the regular season, we have five division races in which the second-place team sits no more than five games off the lead. A third of the teams in baseball are within five games of a wild-card berth.